As disclosed in Japanese Patent Laid-Open Publication No. 2003-312359a turn signal lamp has been proposed in which a side mirror is abolished and a camera capable of acquiring a backward image of a vehicle is equipped in place of the turn signal lamp.
Inventors have contemplated improving the visibility of such a turn signal lamp by equipping a light guide in the turn signal lamp. However, when the camera and the light guide are equipped in the turn signal lamp, the turn signal lamp is increased in size so that the aerodynamic drag of the vehicle may increase.
Therefore, an object of the present disclosure is to provide a turn signal lamp which includes a camera and a light guide and is capable of suppressing the increase of aerodynamic drag.
In accordance with the present disclosure, a turn signal lamp includes: a lamp body; an outer cover that forms a lamp chamber with the lamp body; a light source installed within the lamp chamber; a light guide installed within the lamp chamber to guide light emitted from the light source; and a camera installed within the lamp chamber and provided with an image capture device. When the turn signal lamp is attached to a vehicle surface, at least a portion of the light guide is provided in an area that extends from the camera in a direction following the vehicle surface.
In a case where a turn signal lamp is mounted on a vehicle, and the turn signal lamp largely protrudes from the vehicle surface, the aerodynamic drag of the vehicle increases, or the design property of the vehicle is damaged. However, it has been found that, even if the turn signal lamp is somewhat enlarged in a direction following a vehicle surface, the turn signal lamp may hardly protrude from the vehicle surface so that the aerodynamic drag may be hardly increased. In addition, the turn signal lamp may hardly damage the design property of the vehicle.
When a member of the turn signal lamp is arranged in the area that extends from the camera in the direction following the vehicle surface, the turn signal lamp may hardly be increased in size in a direction in which the turn signal lamp protrudes from the vehicle surface. Therefore, the increase of aerodynamic drag by the turn signal lamp may be suppressed by arranging the light guide in the area that extends from the camera in the direction following the vehicle surface.
In the turn signal lamp, the light guide may include: a thick portion, at least a portion of which is formed in an area that extends from the camera in the direction following the vehicle surface as well as in at least one of an upward direction and a downward direction when the turn signal lamp is attached to the vehicle; and a thin portion, at least a portion of which is formed in an area that extends from the camera in a front-and-back direction. The thin portion is thinner than the thick portion.
Since the large light guide having the thick portion and the thin portion may be located in the lamp chamber using the area that extends from the camera in the direction following the vehicle surface and in at least one of the upward direction and the downward direction as well as an area that extends from the camera in the front-and-back direction, the visibility may be further improved while suppressing the enlargement of the turn signal lamp in the direction in which the turn signal lamp protrudes from the vehicle surface.
In the turn signal lamp, the thick portion and the thin portion may be integrally formed with each other.
Since the thick portion and the thin portion may be brightened by a single light source, the enlargement of the turn signal lamp may be suppressed while improving the visibility.
The turn signal lamp may further include an extension installed in the lamp chamber, and configured to shield at least a portion of an inner surface of the lamp body, the light source, the light guide, or the camera from an outside. An image capture device cover portion may be provided on the extension to suppress light emitted from the light guide or the light source from being introduced into the image capture device.
Since the light emitted from the light source does not directly or indirectly enter the image capture device, image information may be acquired well.
In the turn signal lamp, the extension may integrally include a camera cover portion that shields the camera excluding the image capture device from the outside.
In the turn signal lamp, the extension may integrally include a light source cover portion that shields the light source from the outside.
With the present disclosure, there is provided a turn signal lamp which includes a camera and a light guide and suppresses the increase in aerodynamic drag.
The above-described summary is illustration purposes only and does not intend to limit in any ways. In addition to the illustrative embodiment, examples, and features described above, additional embodiment, example, and features will become apparent by referring to the drawings and the following detailed description.